Path: utzoo!utgpu!cunews!cognos!stewartw From: stewartw@cognos.UUCP (Stewart Winter) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.applications Subject: Re: Relational databases and "Acquisition" Message-ID: <9243@cognos.UUCP> Date: 23 Jan 91 23:00:22 GMT References: Reply-To: stewartw@cognos.UUCP (Stewart Winter) Distribution: comp Organization: Cognos Inc., Ottawa, Canada Lines: 36 In article cimshop!davidm@uunet.UU.NET (David S. Masterson) writes: >At this point, I know of only two "relational" database systems supporting the >Amiga market (Superbase and Microfiche Filer). Neither one is really a relational database. Really just indexed file systems with a programming and reporting language/interface which can perform some basic relation-type joins. >capabilities of MF. SBPro, however, seems quite powerful in its latest >incarnation and has fairly good support (which seems to depend on the time of >year or some such). While not "fully" relational, it does include a >programming language (Basic-like), Arexx support, external (memo-type) fields >that handle graphics and sound, user-definable forms and reports, etc. You can do lots of good programming without a relational database provided you have a competent programming language sitting above a basic file system. SBPro takes this approach, and I think that it is a reasonable one for the amiga. > Where >it lacks in being fully relational is no multi-field keys, some constraint >checking (in the forms, though), and no data dictionary. Well, they lack more than that. A good transaction model which can span multiple files, 2-phase commit support, business rules in the database, etc. It's not that I expect this stuff in an amiga product, but they are not selling a relational database ... more of 4GL. Stewart -- Stewart Winter Cognos Incorporated S-mail: P.O. Box 9707 VOICE: (613) 738-1338 x3830 FAX: (613) 738-0002 3755 Riverside Drive UUCP: stewartw%cognos.uucp@ccs.carleton.ca Ottawa, Ontario The bird of the day is .... Meyer's Parrot CANADA K1G 3Z4